A Prayer for Growth Beneath the Surface
By Meg Bucher
“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 NLT
Crisp, clear, and green as could be, a tulip emerged from the middle of the front lawn. Tulips are my oldest daughter’s favorite flower. Over the years, I have tried and failed multiple times to plant a successful tulip garden. The squirrels dug up the bulbs, year after year, and scattered them around the yard, only to reveal come springtime where they hid them.
Today’s verse reminds us, no matter how scattered we may feel, we find our ultimate peace in the Lord. The truth we sow into our hearts is as sturdy as a tulip bulb, which no matter the weather or relocation, finds a way to bloom each spring. As we get older, and our physical bodies start to break down, the Word we have planted in our hearts continues to bloom and multiply. The beautiful blooms can only be seen for a season, but the strength of the plant under the earth continues to strengthen and multiply.
Let's Pray:
Father,
I praise You for the spring flowers which bloom every year, and for the squirrels who place them in places which surprise us …reminding us You have a sense of humor, too, oh, God. Elohim, Creator of all things and all of us; we give all glory to You for our lives, and Your purpose for them. As spring ushers in the beauty of blooms and the return of green grass and leaves returning to the trees, let it remind us of the new life You promise us in Christ. Father, we specifically take time today to pray for those in our lives who You have placed purposefully to draw to You through us. Let us be rooted in Your Word firmly, and ready to love others throughout the day today, and always.
Every day, Your mercies are new, Lord. Though we may fail to plant a successful tulip garden, Your work cannot be stopped. When we faithfully seek You in Your Word, we are ever-growing daily. Though our progress may not look neat and tidy, maybe it looks more like the tulip bulb popping up in the middle of the front lawn- we can trust Your purpose for our lives, and the place You have called us to witness to. Let us be responsible with the people You have placed in our lives to love, Lord. And let our hearts beat first and foremost for You, Abba, Yahweh.
We are amazed at the wisdom we are able to glean from Your creation. When we gaze upon gardens of tulips this spring, let us remember the growth going on under the surface. The strengthening and multiplying going on throughout the entire year, before the flowers bloom, is more important than the beauty of the flower. Without the root work, the flowers would never be able to bloom.
Father, let our hearts be like the roots of a tulip, a bulb full of truth that is strong through all seasons and blooms beautifully in Your time. Let our lives be evidence of the truth Isaiah proclaimed: “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT) When it becomes difficult for us to see You in our circumstances, Lord, remind us through Your Holy Spirit -living in us through Christ Jesus- of Your faithfulness.
“To whom can you compare God?” Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 40:18 NLT). Let our hearts be overwhelmed with the assurance of Your work in our lives, and Your sovereign control over the world and everything and everyone in it.
Father, You are patient with us, allowing us to grow and bloom in this world …and in Christ, onto the next. Help us to see life through Your eyes, God. We pray to see other people the way You see them, and to gaze upon ourselves as You gaze upon us. Let the Truth of 1 Peter 1:21-25 come to full fruition in our lives:
“Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.” (NLT)
In Jesus’ Name, we pray,
Amen.
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